


Name of Science: The Messiah Strand

by AliasJaneDoe



Category: Mutant X
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Season 1, Suicidal Thoughts, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:54:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28910418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliasJaneDoe/pseuds/AliasJaneDoe
Summary: Brennan becomes the first test subject in Eckhart's quest for immortality. - Originally posted in 2002, uploading to AO3 by request.
Relationships: Emma deLauro/Brennan Mulwray
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is complete, but the formatting of my file got all messed up, so I'm needing to put back all the line breaks, italics, and such. I'll try to post a chapter every day or two. Total length is 105K words.
> 
> Beta-read by: Lanfear, ElEcTrICgUrL, Ice Queen, Vixen  
> Special thanks: Audrey, Cyndi, Ace, Toni, Bob, Alliegirl, Meg
> 
> Also huge thanks to all the people who made this the most reviewed and favorited MX story on fanfiction.net - you all meant the world to me. Thank you.

A bolt of white-hot pain quickly returned Brennan to consciousness. Moaning, he blinked open his eyes. He was inside Genomex, and one of Eckhart's goons had just shot a sub-dermal governor into the back of his neck.

"Aww crap..." His head was throbbing. This was definitely not turning out to be a good day.

"My sentiments exactly," commented a familiar voice, also none too thrilled to be there.

Rolling his aching head to the side, Brennan spotted Emma restrained in the chair next to his. Just great. The GSA had gotten them both. 

She gave him a tiny half-smile, reassuring him that she wasn't hurt. "They've been running tests on you for the past hour," she told him quietly. "I was worried."

"I've been out that long?" he asked, frowning. He only vaguely recalled their little brawl with about two dozen GS agents. It had obviously been a set-up, but what did they want?

"I think they drugged you," she replied nervously. "Whatever scans they ran on you, Eckhart seemed pleased with the results."

Glancing around and wondering when the aforementioned white-haired creep was going to make an appearance, Brennan tugged experimentally at his restraints with no luck. But he noticed a cut across the back of his hand, and his ring was missing. He returned his focus to Emma. "It's us," he realized. "The whole point was to capture a couple members of Mutant X, but other than the obvious, why? What kinds of stuff did they do to us while I was out?"

"Bren..." Emma studied him carefully. Her ring hadn't been removed, and other than restraining her, they'd paid no attention to her at all. "I think they specifically want you."

His eyebrows raised in question. But before he could ask how she figured that, Eckhart and several others entered. The others weren't important, merely red-shirts who'd likely be gone by tomorrow.

Brennan fixed his stare on Eckhart. "Adam isn't going to let you keep us here," he threatened. A rescue was probably being mounted right that second.

Eckhart held up a small baggie with Brennan's ring in it. "Because of this?" he asked, somewhat amused. "Yes, I'm well aware that it can be tracked."

From the smears of red on the inside of the plastic, Brennan decided he was a bit too aware. His hand had purposefully been sliced in order to coat his ring with his DNA.

"Keeping that active is a bad idea," Emma warned him smugly. "I hope you're prepared for a thorough ass-kicking any minute now."

Eckhart regarded her with contempt. "It was such a pleasant surprise that you showed up, Miss DeLauro."

One of his men hurriedly apologized. "I didn't know what else to do with her, sir. I know you only asked for the elemental."

"What do you want with me?" Brennan inquired angrily.

Eckhart gave him a nonchalant glance through those stupid glasses he always wore. "You're going to have the privilege of taking part in an experiment."

Glaring stubbornly, Brennan replied, "I'd rather not."

Eckhart remained perfectly composed. "I advise you to change your mind."

"Go to hell," he retorted defiantly.

With a nod, Eckhart said, "Very well." He turned to one of his lackeys. "Escort Miss DeLauro to a stasis pod."

"Brennan..." she called nervously to him as her wrists were freed and she was forced to get up.

"Don't," Brennan said, the word catching in his throat. Emma was his one weakness that could be exploited. "Leave her alone."

"So you'll agree to cooperate?"

He hesitated, wondering exactly what kind of deal he was making. Apparently he waited too long, because Emma suddenly dropped to the floor, clearly in pain.

"HEY!" Brennan yelled, jerking against his restraints. They'd activated her governor. He knew firsthand how much that hurt. He stared daggers into Eckhart. "You son of a bitch!"

Emma had curled into a ball, but she was biting her lip to keep from crying. Brennan locked eyes with her. This was his fault.

"Stop," he finally said. "I'll do whatever you want."

"Bren, don't," Emma told him as her pain stopped. Her eyes pleaded with him not to make any deals.

Taking his gaze off her, he returned his view to Eckhart. "You have me. Now let her go."

Eckhart nodded to the man who was standing over Emma. He pulled her to her feet, then held her firmly as another man slit the back of her hand. "Ouch," she hissed.

Her blood was allowed to drip into another small plastic bag, then her ring was slipped from her finger. Eckhart handed the man Brennan's ring also. "Find a creative way to dispose of those."

Brennan didn't like this at all. "Our deal was that you let her go."

"I have you either way," Eckhart informed him. "You're in no position to make demands. She'll be kept merely as assurance that you won't fight us."

"If you hurt her--" Brennan began.

Holding up a hand, Eckhart silenced him. "Miss DeLauro won't be harmed unless you give us reason to do so. You have my word."

With that, Brennan was released from the chair. He stood and allowed them to cuff his hands. Emma's hands were bound also. Then he walked without argument as they were escorted to the parking garage behind the building.

"Care to tell us where we're going?" Emma asked as she and Brennan were forced into the back of one of the vans. The door was slammed behind them. "Didn't think so," she sighed.

Brennan knew it was pointless, but he checked the door regardless. "Locked," he announced as the vehicle began to move.

The windows were painted black so they couldn't see out. They were also separated from the front, unable to know how many men there were other than the driver. Emma leaned her back against the side of the van. "Adam won't know where to find us."

Brennan nodded, sitting opposite her. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she assured him. Then they sat in silence.

Brennan reached up to touch his forehead and winced in pain. He looked at his fingers and discovered that they had dried blood on them.

"Does that still hurt?" Emma asked with concern.

He shook his head before probing at the cut once more. "Not really. I just thought I'd been hit from behind."

She gave him a pained smile. "You were, but you landed on your face." She grimaced from the memory.

He sighed. "Gracefully, I'm sure."

At that moment, the van lurched and Emma fell forward. Brennan quickly reached to catch her, momentarily forgetting that his hands were bound, causing Emma to impact awkwardly with him, knocking them both over. She stared down at him, pinned to the floor beneath her. "I'm sure."

Brennan looked back at her, making no move to free himself. His hands were trapped between them, and hers were against his shoulder, leaving their bodies pressed together and their faces mere inches apart.

Emma had beautiful eyes. Brennan wondered where that thought came from. Probably the same place as the urge to kiss her. He'd had these feelings for quite a while, he just wasn't certain if he should act on them. Emma wasn't just somebody to flirt with. With her, it was serious, and that frightened him. He wasn't exactly the committed relationship type. Well, maybe he was, or at least had attempted to be a few times... but that never ended well.

She leaned in closer and he could feel her soft breath on his skin. All he had to do was make his move.

Then the vehicle went over another bump in the road, causing them to smack noses. "Ouch..." they both said simultaneously as Emma pushed herself back up. The two of them started laughing.

"You okay?" Brennan asked her.

She grinned. "Yeah. You?"

He laughed once more, not believing that had just happened. "Never better."

Then they reached their destination. The back door was opened and Eckhart's men pulled them from the van as Eckhart himself stepped from the front passenger door. He looked at Emma. "Show her to her room," he instructed. "And take Mr. Mulwray to the lab."

Brennan's arm was gripped none too gently as he was jerked in the opposite direction from where the other men were taking Emma. "Brennan!" she called worriedly.

He turned to glance over his shoulder at her. "It's okay," he assured her. "I'll be fine."

Then he was shoved through a doorway and led through a series of hallways. Whatever this compound was, it was fairly massive. Brennan wondered how it had managed to stay out of Mutant X's radar.

As he willingly walked between the two large men who were guiding him, one thought weighed heavily on his mind. Adam didn't know where they were.

\-----

Upon reaching the lab, one of the two men left while the other remained. Brennan pulled his other arm free from the iron grasp, but he made no other attempt to move. He had to submit to whatever was about to be done to him, for Emma's sake.

Two men in white lab coats entered. One was older, the other fairly young. Brennan glared at them. "Let's get this over with," he said, keeping the fear from his voice. There was something about doctors and sterile rooms that creeped him out.

"Very well," the older doctor said while pulling on a pair of latex gloves. "Remove your clothes."

Instantly biting his tongue, Brennan held back his retort. The guard still stood between him and the door, and any attempt at running would surely prove futile. Fine, if that's the way they wanted to play this. He wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of making him squirm.

Holding out his bound hands, he waited for the cuffs to be unlocked. The young doctor, probably just an assistant, stepped forward and removed his restraints. Upon closer inspection, Brennan decided the kid was definitely younger than he was by a fair margin.

With his hands now free, Brennan pushed aside his modesty and stripped. He made no attempt to hide his nakedness. The young assistant watched him with a bit too much interest. Brennan stared right back. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

Blushing, the young man turned away. But Brennan's smug attitude was short-lived as he was forced to lie on his stomach on one of the metal examination tables. It was cold against his bare skin. He struggled to keep his breathing even as his ankles and wrists were moved into position and locked with the restraints.

He pulled experimentally at them, every impulse inside him screaming orders to fight, to flee. Yet knowing Eckhart had Emma kept him frozen. And he told himself not to be afraid.

Whatever was done to him now, Adam would fix it.

He was hooked up to a monitor next, and it displayed his vital signs. Brennan seriously prayed they weren't expecting those to change. Then a scan was run over his entire body. When it was finished, somebody placed a sheet over him. It warded off the chill, yet it also meant they planned on keeping him where he was for a while.

He spotted the large needle with his peripheral vision as the syringe was being filled. Then a strong hand was placed on the back of his head, holding him securely. Flesh, not gloved, so he knew it to be his guard, not one of the doctors. They were expecting him to fight this.

"What are you doing to me?" he asked, his voice demanding an answer. Maybe he was being foolish to allow this.

He was held more firmly. "Be still."

Brennan didn't so much as blink as a slight pressure was applied to his sub-dermal governor. The needle was being inserted through it. He winced ever so slightly as it finally pierced the skin at the base of his neck. Then it was slowly pushed deeper. He tensed but managed to keep still.

After what seemed an eternity, the needle was pulled back out, his head was released, and he allowed himself to breathe. That's when the tingle started. It increased to an unpleasant warmth which steadily progressed throughout his body. The heat was accompanied by nausea and some discomfort.

Then time skipped and he figured he must have blacked out because he was now lying on his back, and he was hooked up to all sorts of medical equipment. His head was swimming and the voices around him were fading in and out, tones stressed with urgency.

Something had gone wrong. Eckhart would be pissed. That fact would have pleased Brennan had it not been for the problem being with him. And he didn't have a clue how serious it was. He just felt... strange, not entirely connected to what was going on around him, disoriented, fuzzy...

Somebody injected something into his IV line, and Brennan blinked several times, trying desperately to focus. He wanted to ask what was happening, but he literally couldn't speak. His throat was closed and painful, yet he was still somehow breathing. He decided they must have put a tube in his throat. So this was bad... In fact, it was either very bad or these guys were taking cautious to an extreme. He doubted he'd stay awake long enough to debate it.

Blackness tugged his eyes closed and he started to drift. The voices blurred out and the rhythm of his heart monitor went with them, washed away by the ambient hum in his ears, the feel of heat and cotton, drugs... He was so hot... Something was wrong. He hoped they'd gone through too much effort to capture him for them to just let him die.

Adam wouldn't let that happen. He'd be intervening in this experiment any minute now. Adam would fix this. Brennan placed complete faith in that thought before losing consciousness again.

\-----

"What's the problem?" Eckhart asked into the microphone as he looked down at the lab through the observation window.

One of the three doctors looked up at the glass. "He's rejecting the strand. We need to stop the process or we'll lose the subject."

Removing his glasses, Eckhart pinched the bridge of his nose. Hadn't they run tests to be certain Mulwray was compatible? He hit the talk button on the mike once more. "Proceed with the experiment as planned. And be certain he doesn't die."

With that, Eckhart turned to leave. He had other things to attend to. And when he returned, there'd either be four live men in that room, or four dead ones.

\-----

Emma waited in her room, which was more like a prison in her opinion, for something to happen. It had been hours, time that dragged by without accurate measure since her watch had been taken, and she was more than a little nervous. She wanted Brennan. What if Eckhart didn't intend to ever let her see him again?

Curling up into a ball in the corner, she rubbed her arms, feeling cold. It was surely quite late by now. Adam would have noticed that she and Brennan had never returned to Sanctuary. He, Shalimar, and Jesse were probably out looking for them.

She tried to be optimistic, fully expecting to be found. But there was a fair amount of unease at not being able to use her gift to help the others locate her. Without that, she had no idea how long a search would take.

However, she knew the rest of Mutant X would never quit trying until both she and Brennan were safe.

\-----

It was 3:00am when the signals moved. The quiet beeping of his computer woke Adam from his light sleep.

Brennan and Emma were no longer at Genomex. Adam adopted a troubled expression. He'd chosen not to act yet. They'd agreed it was best to wait until the graveyard shift went home and they could enter with the morning crew. Rubbing his eyes, Adam blinked at the screen. Why was Eckhart moving his kids in the middle of the night?

He quickly pulled up a map and tried to locate the signals' current position. At quarter to four, the movement stopped. Two minutes later, the tracking devices went dead.

\-----

Jesse took a deep breath of the brisk air as he leaned against the car and propped his face in his hands. It had been early when Adam roused him, and now the sky was brightening with the first rays of dawn.

The search parties were just getting started. Police and the coast guard had arrived even before Mutant X. After retrieving a jacket, Jesse headed back toward the water to wait with Adam and Shalimar.

A witness had reported seeing several men dumping what looked like two bodies from a black van. Crews had spent the rest of the night working out what they called a search grid. What the red lines on the map really indicated was what area of the river they were going to drag to try to find the bodies.

Standing beside Shalimar, Jesse stared out across the water. The scene didn't look any more hopeful in the cold light of day. This was the location Emma and Brennan's rings had last been active, and according to his research, there was nothing built under the river.

One certain fact was that the two rings were indeed in the water. He could only pray that his friends weren't also.

\-----

Brennan came to as something was being held under his nose. He quickly jerked his head up away from the strong smell. He was groggy, but considering he'd assumed he was dying the last time he'd been awake, he felt almost... better than usual. Tired, but strong.

"Good, you're awake," the young doctor from earlier said. He'd obviously used something to bring him around.

Brennan groaned. His arms were stretched up over his head, his wrists cuffed and suspended from a hook which hung from the ceiling. His feet just touched the floor, and he straightened himself up to relieve the strain on his arms. This wasn't exactly a pleasant way to wake up.

He was dressed once more - loose white pants and a white t-shirt. He now matched the building, all the walls also being white. He looked at the young man who was still with him. "What's your name?" There were better questions, such as what the hell was going on, but he decided to try for something that might actually be answered.

"Jordan," was the short reply.

Okay, that was a start. "I'm Brennan," Brennan said, trying to get Jordan to view him as more than just a test subject.

"I know who you are, Mulwray," Jordan said coldly before shining a penlight into his eyes.

"And I see you've already decided you don't like me," Brennan commented.

Jordan stared at him. "You're a criminal, a member of the outlaw gang known as Mutant X."

"We're the good guys," Brennan defended himself. "Just who do you think you're working for? Eckhart is the criminal."

"Mr. Eckhart is a government employee. He's only trying to help your kind."

"My kind?" Brennan repeated. The way Jordan said it, he might as well have said freak. "You're no better than us. Jeez, what are you, like 17? You're just a stupid kid who doesn't know anything. You get an after-school job working for Genomex and suddenly you've got a God complex."

Brennan stopped talking and mentally scolded himself. He'd really chosen a great way to go about getting Jordan to sympathize with him. "Sorry," he finally said. "It's not your fault Eckhart is playing you."

"You're very outspoken," Jordan told him. "Mr. Eckhart clearly explained things to me when I signed on to intern here."

"Yeah," Brennan scoffed. "I'm sure he did."

Jordan glared at him for a moment before offering him two small pills. "What are they?" Brennan asked.

"Pain pills," Jordan informed him. "We do try to be as humane as possible."

Brennan spit in the outstretched hand. "Pass."

Tossing the pills onto the floor, Jordan gave him another disgusted look before turning to leave. Eckhart and the guard from before entered as he was about to go out.

"Is he able to resume testing?" Eckhart asked Jordan.

The intern nodded. "He came through the procedure perfectly. His initial rejection of the strand hasn't caused any ill effects," he told Eckhart before storming out.

Eckhart casually strolled over to Brennan. "Congratulations on costing me a small fortune, Mr. Mulwray. You continue to torment me even while unconscious."

Glaring at him, Brennan tossed out a, "Anything I can do to make your life more interesting."

Eckhart looked to the other man. "You may begin," he told him before also exiting.

"So what's next on the agenda?" Brennan asked his guard. In response, he received a hard backhand to his face. After spitting the blood from his mouth, he asked, "What the hell was that for?"

The man struck him again. Brennan's head whipped to the side and he lost his footing. He slowly got back into a standing position. "Is this a 'don't speak unless spoken to' kind of thing?"

The next blow was delivered to his stomach, effectively silencing him. When he recovered from the hit, Brennan didn't say a word. He just waited.

Another punch followed the last and Brennan was forced to gasp for air. Shit, that hurt. He looked up at the man. He hadn't spoken that time. "You need to decide what rules we're playing by here."

That remark earned him several more hits, one right after the other. And he still couldn't figure out what the point of this was.

\-----

Brennan eventually lost track of how many times he'd been hit. He'd stopped talking entirely, but the blows continued. The other man never said a thing.

Slumping against his restraints, Brennan just allowed the punches to fall. He was on the verge of passing out.

As the man drew his hand back to deliver yet another blow, the door opened and Jordan entered. "He's had enough."

The assault stopped and Brennan leaned his head back, taking deep breaths and trying to combat the pain. It was finally over.

Jordan moved to take his pulse, and Brennan found himself staring at him. "You call this humane?" he mumbled. What the hell was going on here anyway? Why would they risk beating him up right after he'd almost died on them? But then, who knew how long he'd been unconscious and what the sadistic bastards had done to him while he was out.

Jordan removed his hand and refused to look at Brennan. "Let him down, then take him to his room."

The second Brennan's hands were released, he sagged, collapsing. Jordan actually moved to catch him instead of letting him drop to the floor. Brennan leaned heavily on him, slight aftershocks from the abuse wracking his body.

Then his arm was gripped and he was pulled to his feet. He thought he detected a hint of remorse in Jordan's expression before he was led out.

\----- 

As soon as Brennan was inside the room, the door was locked behind him. He instantly sank to the floor and rested his head on his knees.

"Brennan!"

He looked up as Emma rushed over to him. He hadn't expected to be allowed to share a room with her. He gave her a faint smile.

She was immediately by his side, lifting his face toward the light so she could inspect the bruises. She pushed his hair back and stared into his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"It's not that serious," he told her, trying not to let on how much pain he was actually in.

Noticing his cuffed hands, she touched the metal before slipping her hand into his. "What did Eckhart want?"

Brennan just shook his head. That's what he didn't understand. "I don't know." He leaned against the wall, then decided he needed to lie down. The room was empty, connecting only to a small bathroom. They'd have to sleep on the floor.

As he moved, his shirt shifted and allowed Emma to catch a glimpse of the bare skin at his waist. She instantly reached for the edge of the shirt.

He tried to stop her from looking. "Em, don't."

She pushed aside his hands and lifted the material anyway. His entire chest was marred with forming bruises. She fought not to cry. "Why would they do this?"

Brennan couldn't answer that. He'd been tortured without a reason. "He didn't ask me anything."

Brennan's head swam a bit then, and Emma seemed to notice. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Been better," he mumbled before promptly passing out.

\-----

The pain was gone and he felt content. Brennan stirred slightly, feeling the warmth pressed against his side. Emma was sleeping next to him. This felt... good.

Brennan took a deep breath as the veil of sleep slipped away. But this dream felt so right, he didn't want to leave it. He tried to wrap his arms around Emma before realizing that they were still cuffed, and she snuggled closer with a faint sigh.

Unable to hang on to his dreams, Brennan settled for watching Emma sleep. She looked peaceful, and yet they couldn't stay like this. Eckhart would return for him, and he needed to shed the haze of sleep and be ready.

Gently, he slipped away from Emma and got up. He walked to the small bathroom and turned on the sink, splashing water on his face. That would have to do since there was no shower.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror. That wasn't right. He leaned closer to the glass and touched his face. There was no bruise on his jaw. He quickly felt his forehead, discovering that cut to be absent as well.

He stepped back. This was a bit too peculiar. Hesitantly, he pulled his shirt over his head and let it gather around his bound wrists. Then he noticed the figure in the mirror, watching him. He turned to face Emma.

Slowly, she reached out and laid her hand on his chest. Then her gaze darted to his face. "I don't understand."

"Neither do I," he said, looking in the mirror once more.

All his injuries were completely gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have decided to merge chapters into longer sections, so the first three are now chapter one. I hope this doesn't cause confusion.

The unblinking eye of the camera watched him as he paced. Eckhart had somebody observing them. He turned to Emma. "I don't like this."

She glanced up from where she was sitting across the small room. "What's this even mean?" she asked. "We're certain only one night has gone by, right? Which leaves only... Why would Eckhart give an enemy the ability to heal?"

"No reason. Unless he wants it for himself," Brennan speculated. "Making me merely a lab rat."

"We need to find a way out of here," Emma said, hoping their cell wasn't also bugged. "If he's testing the effectiveness of... whatever this is... then--"

"I know," Brennan cut her off. It wasn't looking too good for him. He was starting to hope they actually had somehow lost the couple weeks of time required for him to have healed.

She got up and moved close to him, stopping his pacing. She leaned into his ear. "I want you to fight back," she said quietly, disguising her comment in a hug. "Don't hold back on my account. Don't let them hurt you."

"Emma..." He trailed off as their door was opened. The same guard stood there. Brennan gave Emma's hand a quick squeeze before following him out.

And the door slid shut behind them.

\-----

"Remove your clothes and lie down," Brennan was instructed after his hands were once again freed.

He obeyed, but all the while he devoted his attention to memorizing the room. It was the same lab he'd been taken to before. If escape were possible, he'd need to do it while his restraints were off.

Taking out the main doctor and Jordan would be easy. His guard would be more of a challenge. It was probably best to attack him first, use the element of surprise. After that, he'd need to free Emma. The route back had already been learned.

The door lock would require a handprint. He could take Jordan hostage until he got past it. There were maps on the walls he could use to find the way back to the parking garage. He'd need to hot-wire one of the vehicles the old-fashioned way, but it was doable. 

Once outside, they'd ditch the car and make a call to Adam. The Helix could pick him and Emma up and return them to Sanctuary.

He finished undressing and obediently laid down on one of the tables. He'd wait until the next session to act. He needed the time to make sure he knew the plan. And Eckhart needed to think he was cooperating.

He was lying on his back this time, and he couldn't help feeling very exposed once his wrists and ankles were secured. A scan was run, then he was provided with a sheet. The main doctor left.

"Well?" Brennan asked Jordan who was now the only one with him. The young man gave him a curious look. "What did the scan have to say?"

"This will hurt a bit," Jordan said before pricking him and taking several vials of his blood. He moved to a counter and began to label them. "According to your scan, your body is adapting well to the Messiah Strand. Rejection should no longer be a problem."

"What is that?" Brennan asked as Jordan returned to his side.

"You don't need to know that information." Jordan began feeling Brennan's abdomen. "Let me know if there's any pain."

There surprisingly wasn't any discomfort as Jordan pressed against skin that had so recently been badly bruised. He slowly worked his way up Brennan's chest. It was tempting to lie and say that it hurt, because perhaps then they would stop, but Brennan wasn't eager to find out what would happen if they discovered he wasn't telling the truth.

"When do you plan on feeding me?" he asked next. He was more than a little hungry.

"Your metabolism will adjust," Jordan stated.

That caused Brennan to frown. "What about Emma?"

The pressure Jordan was using suddenly became much firmer. "She'll be looked after," he replied stiffly. "You care deeply for her?"

Brennan wasn't certain how to reply to that. He got the impression Jordan wasn't fond of her at all. "She's family," he said carefully.

Jordan's hands had stopped moving and were just resting on Brennan's chest now. Seeming to notice this, he quickly removed them and snapped off his gloves. "You seem fine." 

"Good." Brennan watched him suspiciously. "What now?"

"You'll receive the next injection." He paused. "You shouldn't react as strongly this time," he added softly, almost an apology.

Brennan caught his eyes. "Next injection? Why, what for?"

"If we'd forced you to go through the entire process in one shot, it would have killed you. We're going to continue gradually as we continue testing."

If whatever they were doing to him wasn't complete, that gave him a good chance of Adam being able to reverse it. He just needed to be rescued first. "What is the next part of the tests?"

"Do you want something for the pain?" Jordan offered, looking away.

"Yes." Brennan knew now it wasn't for the pain he was currently in, but for what was to come. He shouldn't have refused the last time.

He was at the counter a moment before returning. Jordan made no move release his binds, rather he simply extended his hand to Brennan, two pills in his palm. Brennan opened his mouth, and Jordan dropped the pills onto his tongue, then he supported Brennan's head with one hand and held a cup of water to his lips with the other so that he could wash them down. 

After he succeeded in swallowing them, Jordan wiped the spilt water from Brennan's chin. He left his thumb on Brennan's face a while longer than was necessary, making him uncomfortable. He couldn't decide if Jordan was just becoming attached to his lab rat and wanted him as a pet, or if the youth was interested in him for entirely different reasons.

Brennan tried to take it as a good sign either way. Jordan was beginning to take an interest in him, and he wanted him to feel involved.

\-----

The door was opened once more and Emma looked up. A man stood there, but not the one who'd taken Brennan.

"Come with me."

She slowly rose. "Where's Brennan?"

"As far as I know, your companion is in one of the labs," he told her.

"What are they doing to him?" She didn't want him to be hurt again.

The man glared at her. "You'll come with me now if you want to be fed."

Her first thought was to decline. She couldn't eat without Brennan.

When she made no move, the man turned to leave. "Suit yourself."

"Wait." Emma hesitantly followed him. It would do her no good to go hungry, and she couldn't escape if she allowed herself to become weak. Instead, she'd keep up her strength, planning for it to be needed when the chance arose to run.

\-----

The injection didn't cause him to pass out this time, but Brennan still felt strange as he was taken to the room where he'd been beaten before. He was disoriented and his blood seemed to tingle as it moved through his veins.

His same guard, whom Brennan now considered his handler since he was always around, locked his arms above his head once more. Then he walked to the other side of the room and got something before returning to stand behind Brennan.

As the back of his shirt was pushed up to expose his skin, Brennan braced himself. He'd already been told what was going to happen. Jordan had informed him that he would be lashed fifty times. He'd thought there must be a better way to test the healing effects of this Messiah Strand or whatever it was called. The older doctor, who'd also been there, had simply replied, "Probably," in a matter of fact tone.

Taking a deep breath, he told himself he could handle this. Attempting escape while he was still feeling the side-effects of the drug would get him nowhere.

Even prepared, Brennan cried out as the first lash seared across his back. His skin burned from his shoulder down to where his pants had stopped the contact at his hips.

He tossed his head back and tried to breathe. That had been worse than he'd expected. But he could get through this. Steeling himself, he bowed his head and waited.

The next snapped at his neck and ripped a path down diagonally and along his side. Brennan bit down on the material of his shirt which was gathered under his chin and used it to gag his scream. His handler hadn't found the proper strike with the first, that much was obvious now. This one had torn his flesh. He could feel the drop of blood slowly making its way along his skin.

Before he could get his breathing back under control, the next lash fell. Lurching forward to avoid the main extent of the blow, Brennan stumbled. His arms jerked harshly, almost being pulled from their sockets as the chain stopped his collapse.

He spit the shirt from his mouth in order to draw in air. His breathing was too choked for him to cry out as he forced himself back to his feet. He took in a hard breath and held it, gripping the chain so his wrists wouldn't be rubbed raw the next time. Setting his jaw in determination, he locked his legs.

He was ready this time. He wouldn't scream.

Fire exploded across his back once more, and he fell again despite his efforts, but he managed to hold back his cry. He took some pride in that small victory. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of breaking him.

Four down.

Screwing his eyes shut, he tried to ride out the most recent pain. He got his feet back under him, and somehow stayed standing through the next seven lashes. On twelve, his knees buckled and he was unable to get back up. But at least they'd fallen into a pattern.

He attempted to exhale every time he felt the flesh of his back be torn, inhaling in sharp gasps during the slight pause between. It became a rhythm. It was the only way he could breathe, because he couldn't draw air during the strike - it was too intense to allow anything. The pain seemed to dull slightly in between, but every new welt caused revived agony. He focused on that fresh infliction, using it to distract him from the burn of the old. If he could take this one at a time, he'd make it.

So why was he still counting?

The rips in his skin were starting to overlap each other now, and Brennan wondered if his back would be left permanently crisscrossed with scars. Or maybe there'd be no gaps where he hadn't been cut by the time this was over.

Emma was going to flip out when she saw his back. He knew she would look. The edges of some of the wounds would be visible even with his shirt back in place.

Emma... He prayed nobody was hurting her. He could survive this, but he didn't think he could cope if anybody touched her.

Allowing himself the distraction of thinking about Emma gave him a temporary reprieve from the torment of his own body, but it also caused him to miss one of his breaths between hits. He was forced to start laboring and couldn't let his thoughts wander.

The pain was mounting, becoming too much, and Brennan's vision began to cloud. He closed his eyes once more, keeping his head down and trying to remain limp. It was easier when he wasn't tense.

By the halfway mark, the agony was extreme. His hands were slippery with sweat as he gripped the chains. This was going to destroy him. He could feel the electricity inside him seeking release. He needed to fight back! If he let this continue, it would kill him.

A surge went through his body and he spasmed slightly. He'd instinctively tried to use his power, and the governor was combating the reflex. He couldn't even cause a spark with the modified version of the governor; he'd tried earlier and failed.

He instantly attempted to squelch his abilities. He needed to let himself go completely, separate himself from the pain. He made his mind think of anything else, anywhere else. He needed the escape even if it meant not breathing.

But in the back of his mind, he was still counting.

He lost consciousness right before lash thirty-eight.

\-----

Fingers were being run over his back when he started to come to. Gloved, yet not latex this time. Possibly leather, expensive. They caused a slight sting as they traced over his partially healed skin which was still tender.

"Impressive," Eckhart's voice said, causing Brennan to open his eyes with a moan. He rotated his shoulder, yanking away from the man. "Did that hurt? I apologize."

As Eckhart pulled his shirt back into place - still wet with his blood, sweat, saliva, and tears - and then quit touching him, Brennan mumbled something along the lines of, "Go to hell." He'd made it clear that he didn't care about inflicting pain.

"Of that I have no doubt," Eckhart replied. "But not for a very long time, I assure you."

"Take me back to Emma," ordered Brennan. 

"Not quite yet." Eckhart turned to Brennan's handler. "Cut him more deeply."

As the man drew a switchblade from his pocket, Eckhart added, "This will only hurt momentarily."

Brennan grimaced as the blade was flipped open. "Why don't you be the bigger man and test this wonder drug out on yourself?" he asked before his handler moved into his personal space.

"I have a tendency not to trust anything of Adam's these days," Eckhart answered, stepping back to watch.

Adam? Brennan jerked his head up. What could Adam possibly have to do with this?

Before he could question things further, he was forced to attempt a dodge as his handler quickly moved to slice him. The material of his shirt was cut from his shoulder across to his waist. Looking down, Brennan saw that the edges of the tear were red, but he knew the wound wasn't very deep.

As the man prepared to take another strike, Brennan shoved himself forward and head-butted him. Hard. He knew he'd just hurt himself worse than his handler, but he did cause the other man to stumble back.

Prepared, Brennan instantly shifted his weight back, grabbing the chains at his wrists and using them to help swing his bound feet up together in a smooth motion. He landed the kick directly to the man's chest.

When he stumbled, Brennan swung himself once more, knocking his handler's legs out from under him and taking him to the floor. Brennan grinned, feeling the man's pockets with his toes in search of the cuff key.

Off to the side, Eckhart applauded. "Like I said, you are very impressive, Mr. Mulwray." He nudged Brennan's handler with his foot. "Get up. I expected better from you."

Quickly rousing, the man shoved himself up before his pocket was able to be picked, looking none too pleased with Brennan. In a fast motion, he placed his foot on the chain between Brennan's ankles, securely keeping his feet in place. Then he reached around and wrapped his arm about Brennan's neck, twisting his head and covering his mouth with his hand.

Locked against the man's body, Brennan was immobile. It was also a position in which it would be easy for the other man to snap his neck if he tried any further stunts. Knowing he didn't have permission to kill him yet, Brennan attempted biting the hand.

The switchblade, which had been retrieved when the man had gotten up, was swiftly stabbed forward, imbedding itself in Brennan's stomach. His handler held him more tightly as his body jerked, the hand over his mouth still silencing him.

Brennan's entire body tensed impulsively, and he fought against the hand which prevented him from sucking in the much needed air. He could feel the full length of the blade impaling him, held firmly into his body, the other man making no move to release him. There was a metallic taste in his mouth, and he wondered if the blood was his or if he'd succeeded in biting the hand. For a second, he thought he was going to die right there.

Waiting for Brennan to still, his handler finally drew the blade back, twisting it as he pulled it free. Brennan's body spasmed, and he waited again before releasing him.

Brennan's only sound was a pained gasp. He couldn't even scream. He stared at the blade which was sheathed in his blood. His eyes locked in place even after his handler moved from his sight. That had not just happened. He hadn't just been stabbed. Yet his body wouldn't respond to him at all.

"Please..." he managed to ask, although he didn't know what he was asking for or who he was requesting it of. He needed help. 

Eckhart had just taken this experiment to a level which truly scared him.

\-----

Gentle hands replaced the rough ones before he could collapse, and Brennan felt himself being helped to lie down. His eyes still wouldn't focus.

He knew that two men had taken him back to his room, since he hadn't been able to walk, but everything else was a blur. Somebody brushed his damp hair back from his forehead.

"Brennan, please look at me..." Emma pleaded, her voice afraid.

His head was resting in her lap, and he tried to respond to her. He knew he could still see, but nothing was registering. He trembled uncontrollably. "I fought back..."

Removing her jacket, Emma draped it over him. "You're in shock." Her tone held a forced calmness as she continued to attempt to soothe him. She was also trying to stop the bleeding.

"Adam," Brennan managed to choke out, thinking about Eckhart's words. Emma said something about how they'd be rescued soon, and he didn't have the strength to tell her that wasn't what he meant. He didn't even know what he meant.

Did he actually believe Adam was in some way a part of this? Responsible. He decided his clouded mind was falling perfectly into Eckhart's deception. He forced himself not to doubt Adam. Adam was his friend. Adam was going to rescue them. He'd never be involved with Eckhart.

Would he?

\-----

Emma kept Brennan's head cradled in her lap as she absently ran her fingers through his sweat-damp hair. The bleeding had stopped, but Brennan was in bad shape. She could still feel his slight shaking, and his breathing was continuing to get worse.

"I'm scared, Em," he said weakly.

She continued stroking his hair. Her other hand was locked in his, both coated with blood that was nearly gluing their intertwined fingers together. "So am I." Over the past hour, his condition had steadily deteriorated. 

"I should be showing signs of improvement by now." Instead, he felt as though he were dying. "I don't think I'm going to heal."

She squeezed his hand more firmly. "Maybe you just need more time."

"Or maybe Eckhart crossed the line." Brennan closed his eyes and didn't have the strength to open them again. Perhaps they'd discovered the extent of the drug's usefulness.

"It could be something we're just not seeing," suggested Emma, refusing to believe he might be fatally wounded. "Maybe it's like our powers and there's a trigger or something."

Brennan shifted position but never opened his eyes. His breathing had grown too shallow for him to be getting enough air. "I can't stay awake any longer," he told her.

Emma suddenly stilled. Could it be that simple? "Then maybe you don't," she speculated, trying to form a theory. "What if that's the answer? I mean, the last time you healed, you were unconscious, Brennan."

"So I just let myself pass out and I wake up better?" He blinked his eyes halfway open and turned his head to look at her.

"Maybe," she answered nervously.

He rested silently for several minutes before shaking with a pained laugh. "Ironically, I think I'm too afraid to sleep."

"It's okay," she said softly. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Brennan." He'd lose consciousness soon regardless of whether it was intentional or not.

With a small moan, he settled himself back as comfortably as possible. "I know it's wrong," he said after a minute, "but I'm glad you're with me, Emma. I wish you weren't, but I don't know if I could handle this on my own."

She felt a sudden tension go through him, and his face contorted with pain. His breathing also changed, and she realized he was fighting for every breath. She held him more securely, not knowing what to do. A tear slipped down her face as he struggled.

"Relax, Bren," she choked out, her voice broken. "You're going to heal, there's nothing to be afraid of. You're only going to fall asleep, that's all. That's all. Relax. It's okay."

Tears were streaking his face now also, and he was shaking somewhat more strongly. "There are worse ways than this, right?" His fingers clutched her hand in a weak grip. "I mean, this really isn't so bad. The pain's not even... it isn't so bad."

Emma began to cry freely. "You aren't going to die."

He nodded, still trembling. "I know." He paused to take a few more shuddering breaths before they evened and returned to their shallow pattern. "It's only, I mean, if I did... I wouldn't so much mind it being like this. I'm not giving up, though. It's only..."

"I know. It's okay," she said again, watching him start to drift. He was trying to reassure her in case he really didn't heal. She squeezed his hand once more. If given the option, she didn't think she'd be able to leave him. She couldn't let him go through this alone. "Just sleep now."

With a soft moan, he finally surrendered and let the exhaustion claim him. He only hoped she was correct in believing he'd wake up again.


	3. Chapter 3

Agitated, Jesse strummed his fingers on the edge of the keyboard. He couldn't think. Hopping out of his chair, he decided to go for a drive. He knew he'd likely end up back at the river. The search was about to be called off completely. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

He walked past Adam on his way out but decided not to bother him since he was in the middle of a call. However, the strained expression on Adam's face made him stop.

"I'll be right down," Adam said before closing the connection. He turned away from the monitor and noticed that he wasn't alone. "How long have you been standing there?"

Jesse shrugged. "Who was that?"

Adam squeezed the bridge of his nose as if trying to ward off a migraine. "A friend of mine with the police. He keeps an eye out when new mutants get into trouble."

"What did he want?" Jesse couldn't believe Adam was willing to abandon the search in favor of helping some stranger.

"The coast guard might have found Brennan." He pulled on his coat. "I need to go ID the body."

\-----

"Male, late-twenties, dark hair..." Agent Davis shook his head sadly. "I know you've been looking for your boy in that area, Adam."

Adam swallowed before speaking. "I appreciate you calling me."

His friend nodded. "Marcy will take you back."

Adam hardly noticed as he was handed off to the middle-aged blonde. He was too busy concentrating on the task of walking. Placing one foot in front of the other had never required so much thought before.

Marcy gave him a sympathetic little smile. "Are you the father?"

"Yes." The lie was in case it was Brennan. Adam didn't want any trouble because he wasn't legally related. In fact, he didn't even know whom Brennan might have listed as next of kin. But the lie had come far too easily, slipping past Adam's lips without conscious thought. If Brennan was dead, he wanted the body to be released to him.

Everything blurred together and Adam merely went through the motions until he was standing in front of the body. Somebody unzipped the plastic of the body-bag and pulled it back to reveal the head and shoulders of the corpse.

Adam closed his eyes for a minute before turning and hurriedly leaving the morgue. Then he leaned against the wall and caught his breath. Someone offered to get him a cup of water but he refused. He was emotionally exhausted, but he'd be alright.

It wasn't Brennan.

Somewhere, he was certain Mason was having a long laugh at his expense.

\-----

The needle was inside his neck when consciousness returned. This time, Brennan savored the rush of warmth in spite of the pain. His energy was completely gone.

He quickly warned himself not to start liking it. With every injection, his blood seemed to run hotter, and the governor didn't allow him to release the building charge of power through an electrical drain. Once he fully healed, he'd be wired.

Yet it made him stronger. With Eckhart increasing the damage his so-called "tests" inflicted, Brennan needed the step up. And the rush removed the chill left behind from the torture, the blood loss...

He closed his eyes again, waiting for the heat to balance out, and somebody slapped his face just hard enough to make sure he knew he wasn't supposed to go back to sleep.

"Is he ready to proceed?" Eckhart asked.

"He should be allowed to rest longer first," Jordan said. "The strand isn't at full strength yet, so the experiments are taking a toll on him."

Eckhart looked to the other doctor for a second opinion. "He is displaying signs of fatigue; however, I still believe we're able to push forward."

"Do it," Eckhart instructed. The doctor nodded to him as he exited. Jordan left shortly behind Eckhart.

Brennan silently cursed. He'd been hoping to get a chance to talk with Jordan again. He was fairly young and already being forced into the disciplined life of working for Genomex. Brennan doubted he enjoyed the structured atmosphere of always doing as he was told without question.

Which made Jordan the perfect target. Forging a friendship with a member of Mutant X was forbidden. Taking an interest in Brennan would be dangerous. That's why it would be alluring.

\-----

Emma carefully slipped off her last article of clothing, making certain to keep her back to the camera. She would have refused the chance to shower, but she needed to get clean. Turning on the water, she stepped just beyond the reach of the spray.

She stared at her palm before washing away the blood. There were smears where Brennan's hand had been. Closing her eyes, she refused to dwell on what had happened. He'd been taken from her that morning before he'd waken. At least she assumed it was morning. It was hard to tell without windows. She wondered if he'd come to by now.

Stepping under the spray, she let the blood be washed clean. She sucked in a shaking breath, tired from the sleepless night. It was only blood. Blood from a wound that would be gone when she saw him again. Taking in several more fast breaths, she forced herself back under control. She'd been fine during the night, caring for Brennan and thinking of nothing else. Yet now... she was alone, scared, and didn't have something more important to place her attention on. There was nobody right now who needed her to be calm and collected, no one in need of comforting... except herself.

She was better when dealing with others - dealing with something and not just waiting. But she told herself to wait, and all would be fine. She could pretend none of this was permanent. She could pretend Brennan would be able to cope and, once healed, the injury would no longer affect him. Pretend until if they drew his blood again...

His breathing had returned to normal after a few hours, but she'd still been worried. She thought the knife wound had healed also, but she hadn't been able to look again before he was taken. A young doctor had promised they'd help him if he didn't wake soon. For some reason, she'd wanted to trust him.

Nobody had done anything to harm her yet, and she wondered if that would last. She almost wished Eckhart was interested in her just so he wouldn't be so fixated on Brennan.

She scrubbed her face next, trying not to start crying. She was letting herself become an emotional wreck. She'd been told she would be given something to eat again after she'd had a chance to clean herself up. Right now, the very thought of food made her sick to her stomach.

Knowing Brennan likely hadn't been offered anything the entire time they'd been here wasn't helping her appetite either. She didn't think he could last much longer under these conditions, even with Eckhart's drugs. 

Her chest clenched up when she thought that this might continue until they killed him. She'd never noticed when he'd become such a huge part of her life. But looking at the idea of life without him actually hurt.

It ached far more than she thought it should.

\-----

Losing his balance as he was tossed into his room, Brennan landed hard on his shoulder and moaned. Pushing himself up, he traced his fingers through the blood on the floor. The room spun as he eventually stood.

He was alone. He didn't allow himself time to wonder where Emma was, instead opting to deal with his immediate problem. He stumbled to the bathroom and held his arms over the sink as he bled. Pulling his shirt over his head, he urgently began to tear the material.

When he managed to get the shirt ripped into two pieces, he needed to stop in order to catch the edge of the counter to steady himself. His hands were no longer bound, but in place of the metal cuffs were two lines of red where his wrists had been slit deep along the veins. He was fast losing blood.

Wrapping his shirt around his left wrist, he used his other hand to attempt tugging it tight. He wasn't very successful and ended up clenching the shirt in his teeth in order to finally make the knot secure enough.

As he started to bind his other wrist, his vision blurred and he reached out and grabbed for the wall to steady himself. Then he was suddenly on the floor. He gave up on trying to stop the blood flow. His shirt was already completely red. And what use was fighting? Eckhart would just do this experiment again.

He hadn't bled to death from the knife wound, so his wrists had been cut. He wondered what would come next if he didn't die from this.

\-----

When he woke, his head was in Emma's lap once more and she was softly stroking his hair. He blinked open his eyes and stared up at her. "Hi."

She instantly dumped him from her lap, then knocked him over as she enveloped him in a massive hug. "Thank god, Brennan, you're awake; you scared me to death."

He carefully freed himself from her crushing grip enough to be able to breathe. "Apparently."

"I was so worried," she blurted.

"I gathered that." He smiled at her as he straightened himself back up with Emma still clinging to him. That's when he noticed a lot of the contact was against bare skin. He finally managed to pull back slightly. Neither of them was wearing a shirt, and hers seemed to be tied around his wrists and stained red. "Is this blood?"

At that, she let him go and turned away.

"Shit." It all suddenly came back to him. That question had definitely been the wrong thing to say. She was stripped down to her bra because she'd done the same thing he had and used her shirt to try to stop the bleeding. She must have found him lying on the floor.

"Emma, I'm sorry," he apologized. He turned her back toward him and saw the unshed tears in her eyes, and her face was a bit blotchy, signifying those weren't the first. She'd been crying... because of him. He'd really frightened her.

"You weren't breathing, Brennan," she said, her voice wavering.

"I'm fine now," he said seriously, attempting to stay calm while letting her words sink in. Then he decided that he didn't want them to sink in.

"Tell me that when there isn't a pool of your blood on the floor," she snapped back angrily.

"Hey!" He grabbed her arm. For her sake, he couldn't afford to let this phase him. "Stop it, Em. Look at me. I'm fine."

She was still staring past him and he made her face him. "Don't look at it," he said about the blood, not turning around himself but knowing there had to be a lot of it. He cupped her chin in his hand and stared into her eyes. "Look at me."

Trembling, she let herself focus only on him. She'd almost lost him. She started crying, her gaze dropping to her bloodstained shirt that still bound his wrist.

"At me," he said again, then tenderly brushed his lips across her cheek, removing the tear. She closed her eyes and felt the soft touch of lips against her eyelid next, then he placed a trail of kisses in her hair. All the while he was murmuring for her to hush, please don't cry.

"It's okay," he soothed, pulling her closer to him. "I'm alright. It's okay..."

She melted into his embrace, snuggling against his shoulder. She moved her hand to his chest, feeling his warm skin under her fingers. Then she slid her head down to where her hand was, listening to his heartbeat as he comforted her.

"I love you," she told him while wrapped in his arms.

He held her tighter, pressing his cheek against her soft hair. "Always."

\-----

Brennan giggled.

Emma raised her eyebrows at him. "What?" They'd been in the middle of an incredibly intimate moment and he'd started laughing?

"Nothing."

Was he blushing? "What?" she demanded, her brow furrowed now.

"Well, it's just, you know, that whole looking back on a bad situation and laughing thing..." he mumbled.

She failed to find anything remotely funny in the fact that a short while ago she'd been pleading with him to wake up, to not leave her alone here. "Have you lost your mind?"

"I can see your underwear," he answered sheepishly, trying desperately not to stare at her chest. And failing.

She gave him a scolding look, still not seeing the humor. "I'm glad that amuses you." Her mother always used to tell her to wear nice underwear in case she was in an accident. Emma had always thought that was a completely asinine thing to worry about.

"I just never pictured you as the lacy bra type," he explained. "Sheesh, is that a flower with little hearts for petals?"

She instantly slapped his hand away. "BRENNAN!"

"So still not even a little bit funny, huh?"

She glared at him before softening. Maybe he needed it to be funny. That was better than the alternative after all. "So you've pictured me in my underwear?"

"No," he said a bit too quickly, shaking his head and feeling somewhat dizzy.

Pretending to pout, she did her best to look disappointed. "Why not?"

He was a bit taken aback by that. "Hey, no fair teasing the guy suffering from massive blood loss. You know I'm screwed no matter what I say."

"True," she smirked at him. And she had to admit the situation was sort of funny once she accepted that he was okay. "Who'd have ever thought we'd end up locked in a room together half naked due to Eckhart?"

"Remind me to send him a thank you card once we're home." Grinning, he reached out and playfully snapped her bra strap. "It's pink." He couldn't hold back his laugh.

"Don't snap my bra straps," she warned him.

"I'm a guy, Emma," he told her. "We see a cute girl in her underwear, and we're required to snap her bra straps. It's in the rule book."

She arched an eyebrow at him once more. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. I'd tell you to look it up, but the first rule of the rule book is no sharing the rule book with girls."

She shook her head and laughed. "You're making this up."

"Am not."

"Even with a governor, I'm still picking up the liar vibes."

"Alright, fine," he relented. "There's no rule book. But when I tell Jesse all about this, I can't have him thinking I didn't take full advantage of the situation," he teased.

"You're not telling Jesse about this," she threatened.

A mischievous grin spread across his face. "What, are you kidding? That's the first thing I'm doing."

"And I mistook you for mature," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"A mistake you'll never make again," Brennan joked before slowly reaching a finger toward her bra strap again.

She lightly shoved him away, and he fell back dramatically. Emma rolled her eyes at him before pushing him all the way to the floor and pinning him beneath her. "I ended up on top again," she bragged, referring to back in the van.

"It wasn't a fair fight," Brennan only half complained. "I'm still woozy."

Emma smiled down at him before thinking of something. "You know Eckhart just got this on tape."

Now it was Brennan's turn to smile. "You wanna give him a real show?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively at her.

She patted his cheek and gave him a "nice try" look before getting up. "I'll let ya know."

Brennan kept smiling. There wasn't a chance in hell.

\-----

"You've lost weight," Jordan remarked as Brennan stepped off the scale.

"Yeah, that tends to be a side-effect of the starvation," Brennan retorted.

"Are you hungry?"

Actually, he wasn't really. He knew his metabolism was adjusting to the absence of food, yet he still wondered how long he could go before eventually starving to death. "Do you care?"

"Yes," Jordan replied honestly. "Sit. I need to get another blood sample."

Somewhat thrown by Jordan's confession of caring, Brennan actually sat and allowed himself to be restrained once more. He'd been planning to bolt while it was just him and Jordan, but he'd be far more likely to succeed if the young man was on his side. Maybe continued cooperation would be worth his while.

As Jordan drew a vial of his blood, Brennan seemed to get his wits back. "Why do you need that? Didn't you mop enough up off the floor?"

Jordan didn't say anything for a while. He gave Brennan a sad look. "The next test is designed to measure your tolerance to pain, so I won't be able to give you any more meds."

Brennan shook his head in disgust. "Don't you have any morals? You're torturing me. You know that."

"In the end, the benefits will outweigh--"

"That's crap! In the end, you damn well know I'll be dead!" He should have run when he'd had the chance. Jordan was brainwashed by the GSA; he'd never be an ally.

As the young doctor turned to leave, Brennan couldn't hide the fact that he was afraid. "Stay with me," he suddenly requested, not taking his eyes off Jordan. He didn't want him around, but it would be to his advantage. He needed to see Jordan's reaction to his torture. He needed to know if there was even the slightest chance he'd be able to manipulate him.

\-----

Electrodes were attached to his chest and several monitors were set up before the last strap was tightened across Brennan's shoulders. His pulse was already racing.

Jordan gently touched his arm. "This will only last a few minutes."

His words didn't comfort Brennan in the least. He was completely strapped down. What were they possibly going to do to him?

"I want you to try to relax," Jordan continued. His readings were spiking from fear and they hadn't even started yet. "Each level will last for ten seconds, then there will be a pause for three. On each pause you'll want to take a deep breath and hold it. Okay?"

Brennan closed his eyes tightly and didn't reply.

Jordan rubbed his arm once more. "If your readings go anywhere near critical, we'll stop immediately."

The anticipation of pain was worse than the actual infliction of it. Brennan repeated that over and over to himself as he waited.

It wasn't true.

He was completely unprepared as agony flared inside him. He'd been expecting it to come from an external source. Every muscle in his body tensed and he arched.

The restraints held him, but he couldn't even jerk away from the source of the pain if he were free. It was originating deep inside of him. What started sharply behind his eyes spread instantly down into every fiber of his body. Every nerve was on fire.

Shit! He didn't know the governors were capable of this.

Ten seconds eventually slipped by, then it stopped. Brennan gasped. He could have withstood something twice as painful if he were allowed to flinch away. Being completely unable to move away from it was the worst part.

Recalling what Jordan had said, he quickly jerked another breath into his lungs and held it. But it was ripped from him much too quickly as he screamed.

He felt the internal pain mostly behind his eyes, and he began rolling his head from side to side. But it was also everywhere, coursing down his spine and branching all the way to his toes. He thrashed, wondering if it was even real or if the governor was just making him believe there was pain. It couldn't hurt this much and leave him alive if it were real.

When it stopped again, his body ached. That pain he knew was self-inflicted. It was caused from overly tensing his body. But how the hell was he supposed to relax? It was impossible.

Jordan rested a hand on his shoulder yet again, and Brennan was actually grateful. It gave him something to pull away from. He drew more air in several fast gasps, then recoiled from Jordan's touch as the pain erupted inside him once more.

This continued for a few more long minutes with Brennan continuing to shrink away from Jordan's fingers as if they were what burned him, focusing only on that touch until he could no longer even feel it. His breathing turned to hyperventilating, then Brennan thought it might have ceased entirely. And then he blacked out.

Awareness returned a few moments later. His body was sore, and he was drenched in sweat and trembling. Somebody touched his face, but he didn't have the strength to turn his head or even open his eyes.

Fingers carefully slipped two small pills into his mouth. Then a cup of water was held to his lips and the cool liquid was poured into his mouth. "Swallow," he was instructed before his throat was gently rubbed to encourage just that.

Brennan tried to obey but only choked. His throat was tight and he couldn't swallow. He stopped trying.

The strap across his chest was instantly removed and his left wrist was freed, then he was helped to roll onto his side so that he could cough. He spit out the pills then continued to choke and gasp.

"Let me know if you're going to be sick," Jordan told him while rubbing his back.

Finally managing to open his eyes, Brennan stared at him. He shook his head and the entire room spun around him from the action. He instantly froze, not allowing himself to so much as blink. Maybe he was going to be sick after all. In fact, he was somewhat surprised he hadn't thrown up already during the test. Except he didn't think he had enough energy left to vomit.

The wet hair was brushed back from his forehead in a kind gesture. "Lie back down," Jordan ordered gently.

Brennan fell back against the table and momentarily closed his eyes once more, grateful that the world was no longer set on spin cycle. He didn't feel quite so much like he was in free fall with the hard surface bracing his back. His wrist was taken by the other doctor and moved to his side so the restraint could be refastened. Brennan remained completely limp and offered no signs of fighting.

Jordan retrieved more pain pills. "When you're ready, we can try this again," he told Brennan.

He was encouraged by Jordan's natural tendency to take care of him, but at the moment he didn't think enough morphine to numb an elephant would be able to help, much less a couple little pills.

As he attempted to fall asleep, strange gloves were slipped onto his hands. He didn't really pay any attention until his governor was deactivated next. Opening his eyes, he stared questioningly at Jordan.

"Channel as much electrical current into your hands as you're able," the older doctor commanded.

Brennan hesitated. "I need my hands free." He felt like crap, but if he could get them to release his hands while his governor wasn't active, he'd risk making his move. The idea was laughable however. If he couldn't even find the strength to vomit, how the hell was he supposed to run?

The other man wasn't amused. "I'm not that gullible, Mulwray."

Relenting, Brennan attempted to form a charge. But he hardly put any effort into it. He needed to save whatever energy he had for a chance to fight. He also needed his head to stop feeling like somebody was squeezing his skull. He needed a nap...

The doctor charted something on his clipboard, then glanced up at the observation window. "That was about enough power to light a Christmas tree bulb," he commented.

Brennan stared up at the glass. He wondered how long Eckhart had been watching. Why was it even important that he was an elemental? He'd assumed he had been captured simply because he was a member of Mutant X.

"Then I suggest we find a method that doesn't require his cooperation," Eckhart's voice said through the speaker.

\-----

A bolt of electricity shot into his body and Brennan squirmed a bit from the tickle. He tingled all over, but he was absorbing it perfectly. Then he felt it grow stronger.

There wasn't any pain at first, just an almost familiar static charge which increased to an odd vibration. They were forcing him to expel it... expel it or die from it when it became too much. He focused the energy into his hands and gave Eckhart what he wanted. He released as much of it as he could, but he was unable to channel enough of the current out of his body, so the strange sensation mounted.

Brennan didn't think it hurt, although after the pain he'd been put through, his definition of what hurt had changed drastically. This he could tolerate. It wasn't his own energy, but it was something his body knew.

The warmth eventually became heat, the tingle turned into a loud hum in his ears, and he was completely wrapped in it. It was so intense, he felt like he'd explode from the fibrillations. Whenever he used his abilities, the electricity was always expelled almost instantly. He channeled it, he didn't hold onto it. He'd never been subjected to prolonged exposure before. And it was never like this. The charge was supposed to be his, something natural, part of who he was. This was completely foreign.

He knew when his body had physically reached its limited. He felt the spasms start. But he was completely zoned by the heat. The change in temperature was unexpected, and he decided it was related somehow to the Messiah Strand. Either that or this was just what outside currents felt like. The surge was incredible and still building to an even greater level. There was some amount of pain now, growing steadily worse, but it was insignificant in comparison to the raw power his body was being forced to endure.

He started to writhe as the electricity gathered in his very core. He tossed his head back, needing to breathe. He arched from the tension, feeling the power moving through him with no sufficient means of release.

He screamed between gasps. This was it, he couldn't handle anymore. They needed to stop now. Yet it continued, and he fought against the unwelcome power inside him. He couldn't let it go any longer, couldn't find any control.

He felt completely ungrounded. But this was what his body was made to do. His new mutant ability was being tested to its fullest extent. Even with his gift, however, he knew his body would be forced to shut down soon.

Yet there would be no explosion, no climactic release. He'd merely crash. The power would only drain from him when the electricity was either stopped, or when it would stop his heart and his body would die.

Reaching this precipice had forever been one of his greatest fears. His power used against him until it was too much. The force deadly.

But he wouldn't be able to actually witness the moment the line was crossed. He passed out as the spasms became convulsions.

\-----

"Is he able to continue?"

Jordan tore his gaze from Brennan to stare at Eckhart. That question was getting old. "Continue? How far are you planning to take this?" He couldn't possibly want to up the current farther. Brennan had already fallen unconscious, his body still seizing.

Eckhart's gaze remained stoic, his eyes placid and emotionless. He was taking this all the way. Jordan decided to expect the worst. "I'll get a shot of epi ready and prepare for defib."

Eckhart looked to the other doctor. "No."

Jordan stared at his boss who nodded. The two of them couldn't be serious. "If you continue to raise the level, you're going to stop his heart."

"Mr. Eckhart is well aware of that," the doctor told him.

Jordan paled. So that was why Mulwray had been selected from the list of elementals. They were testing to see if his own power could be triggered by the strand at the moment of death in order to restart his heart.

Eckhart turned to face him. "Is there a problem?" He waited a moment for an answer. "Perhaps you'd like to leave?"

Finding his voice, Jordan managed to decline. "No. I'm fine."

As the electricity was raised yet again, all of Brennan's readings suddenly plunged. Jordan rushed forward. "Kill the current!" he shouted. When it was done, he immediately checked for a pulse. "He's flatlining."

Withdrawing his hand, he stepped back. The other doctor was writing something down. Eckhart was just standing there, calm and composed as always. Jordan wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. He was part of a group who'd just intentionally killed someone.

Before he had a chance to dwell on that, the monitors snapped back to life and Brennan gasped. Jordan practically jumped. He hadn't been expecting him to just revive like that.

The other doctor and Eckhart both moved to his side, yet Jordan remained frozen. He watched as an oxygen mask was slipped onto Brennan's face to aid his recovery, the test over. Then he noticed something which completely stunned him. Brennan was awake.

His eyes were searching the room for something. They came to a rest when his gaze landed on Jordan. He couldn't read his expression before it contorted with pain as the governor was reactivated. Brennan's eyes closed for a minute before opening and finding him once more.

Jordan's breath caught in his throat and he quickly spun and left the room. He couldn't face him.


	4. Chapter 4

Finishing his message, Jesse shoved the car keys into his pocket and headed out. He'd almost managed to slip away unnoticed when Shalimar stepped into his path.

"When'd you take up an interest in diving?" she asked him.

He sighed. How was it that she always knew exactly what he was up to? "Are you coming with or trying to stop me?"

She was standing with her hands on her hips. "Adam's going to notice that you borrowed a GPS tracker."

He ran a hand through his hair in agitation. "Look, Shal, if it's more than just their rings down there, I need to know!"

"Adam wouldn't--" she started but was instantly cut off.

"Adam is busy identifying corpses!" Jesse snapped at her. "Maybe finding those rings will give us some clue as to what's really going on. Either way, it will let us stop checking morgues."

"I don't believe they're dead," Adam said from behind him. "At least not yet. You're right; there is something going on."

Jesse spun to face him. "How do you know?"

"I know Mason," was the simple reply.

That didn't improve matters any. "Thanks, I feel much better now being reminded that you used to be in bed with the bad guys," Jesse retorted sarcastically.

Shalimar screwed up her face in disgust. "Yuck, that's a lovely mental picture, Jess."

Adam merely ignored the comment. "If he'd killed them, we'd know by now," he said, certain of that fact. "No, he took them for a reason, and he's just making sure we're too distracted to interfere."

\-----

Emma stared down at her fresh clothes. Drawstring pants and a t-shirt. Both white... Blank. Like her mind. Without her gift, she was both blind and deaf. Empty. 

She poked at the food on her plate then looked at the GS agent who sat across from her, ready to inflict pain if she tried to run. Not that she could ever leave without Brennan. "Why haven't I been podded?" she asked.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, you will be." He smiled a repulsive grin at her, almost more of a snarl. "When they're done dissecting your playmate, it'll be your turn to go to sleep."

She shivered at the way he referred to Brennan, not even noticing what he'd said about her own fate. "What are they doing to him?" Her voice shook from nervousness. Did she even want to know?

His smile broadened. "Everything. Ya know, maybe that's why you're being kept around. Sooner or later, they're going to want to test him for sexual side effects." He winked at her.

Not caring about the rest of her meal, she grabbed her tray and dumped the remainder of her food as she smashed him across the side of his head with it.

\-----

Brennan was staring up at the ceiling when he heard somebody enter. He made no attempt to see who it was. Instead he just closed his eyes and wished them away. He felt terrible.

A needle was stuck into his arm, and he flinched. "You're still awake," Jordan's voice commented and Brennan finally looked at him.

He set down the vial of blood he'd just drawn. His eyes met Brennan's for a lingering moment.

The feeling of being nauseous was growing more intense and Brennan thought he was going to be sick. Jordan wiped his damp hair back from his face and he forced himself to not pull away from the touch. He moaned softly.

"It will get easier after you've completed the treatments," Jordan told him.

Brennan felt like he was going to die. He suspected he had just died. He let himself tremble. Jordan was the only person with him, so there was no point in being brave. You didn't feel sympathy toward the strong. The need to protect was reserved for the weak. "Don't let them do this..."

Jordan began to caress his face. "This research will help others."

"Not true..." Brennan mumbled, needing to get him to switch sides. He weakly let his eyes slip shut.

"You need to have a little faith that this is for the best," Jordan said, almost trying to convince himself as well as Brennan. "Mr. Eckhart is a good man. If you knew him under different circumstances, you'd agree."

Opening his eyes, Brennan looked at the young man. "Under other circumstances, you and I could have been friends," he remarked, trying to play him and hoping it wasn't too obvious.

"Maybe more than friends," Jordan commented.

Brennan tried not to vomit. He disguised his repulsion at the discovery of where Jordan's interests lay with a wince of pain. "Can I rest here awhile longer," he requested, "before I'm taken back to my cell. I don't think I can stand." That part at least was true. He didn't want Emma seeing him in this condition.

Jordan nodded, stroking his face again. "Of course."

\-----

When Brennan was eventually returned to Emma, he had difficulty forcing himself to even look at her. He wanted to pretend everything was fine, but he hadn't been able to fall asleep in the lab, so there was still a lot of pain. 

"So how was your day?" he asked as casually as possible, attempting to act normal.

"Well, I started a tiny brawl. Broke one guy's nose." She gazed at him, worried for a reason she couldn't figure out. "You?"

"It wasn't as bad this time," he lied before reaching to place his hand on the wall to help hold him up. The muscles in his arm quivered. He gave her a small smile. "I'm proud of you, by the way. Getting into a fight was stupid, but you don't look hurt. You're not, are you?"

"No, I'm not." She reached out to help support him. "It got stopped pretty fast. But you should see the other guy."

His smile broadened. "That's my girl."

Then he leaned back against the wall and winced. "Brennan?" she asked nervously.

He waved her off. "I'm just worn out. It's no big deal."

She seemed to sense the tears behind his eyes that he was desperately trying to hold back. He was also trying to keep himself from shaking. He refused to fall apart in front of her. He glanced at the camera. Eckhart wouldn't see his breakdown either. Nobody else was going to see him cry.

As Emma softly touched his face, he pulled away and then rushed to the bathroom. Dropping to his knees in front of the toilet, he retched. Not having anything in his stomach to throw up, he continued to dry heave, his body wanting to rid itself of whatever was causing the pain.

He shuddered as an aftershock from the electricity coursed through him. Emma had apparently followed him because she was now rubbing his back in small circles. He knew she'd feel the vibrations in his body and shrugged her off, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He wondered how much longer it would be before he stopped experiencing the involuntary muscle spasms.

"Brennan, are you sick?" Emma asked, trying to feel his forehead for signs of fever. He quickly drew back once more.

"No." He rubbed his temples in an attempt to ease the throbbing behind his eyes. There were no physical signs on his body for her to see this time, so he was able to lie. "Last few days just caught up with me for a second, that's all."

She felt herself want to cry. "Please don't lie to me."

He looked over at her before averting his gaze and staring at the wall. "Just don't touch me right now, okay?"

Letting her hand drop to her side, she fought back the steadily growing feeling of dread. "What's wrong with you?"

"How the hell should I know?" he snapped at her, catching her eyes for a fraction of a second and praying she hadn't seen his fear. "That would require me knowing what I am."

This time, she did touch him. Very gently, she placed her hand on his and willed him not to pull away from her. She kept looking at him with compassion. "You're you."

"Am I?" He blinked up at her, finally lifting his head. "I have never considered my gift as something that makes me feel out of place. I wasn't normal, but I wasn't a freak either. I was just me, different but me, and I could accept that. But this... I don't even think we bleed the same blood anymore. If we do, then I should be dead. I'm afraid of myself. Afraid I might be losing myself. You have no idea how much that terrifies me."

She moved until she was sitting by his side and leaned her head on his shoulder, all the while still holding his hand, refusing to let go. "You want to know who you are?" she asked. "That's easy. You're Brennan Mulwray. You're a member of Mutant X. You're loyal. You aren't afraid to fight for what you believe in, and you protect those you love. You like reading poetry and have a very odd fashion sense that although strange I still find endearing. You're a closet romantic, but you'd never admit to it--"

Brennan started to object to that, but she continued anyway, not letting him get a word in edgewise. "And you're my best friend, so even if you have doubts about losing yourself, trust that I don't. I know you. And I will always love you. No matter what."

Not knowing what to say to that, he merely pulled her into his arms. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Emma. You're keeping me sane."

She held onto him for a long time until she felt the slight fibrillation course through him. For a moment, she thought it might have been a held-back sob, but he tightened his grip on her and she knew it had been accompanied by pain.

Slowly, she eased back from him. "Come on, you need to get some sleep," she told him gently.

He shook his head. "No."

"What? Brennan, if you don't sleep, you're not going to feel better." She gave his hand a small tug, urging him to come with her.

He didn't budge. "I know. This has to stop, Em. So, the way I figure it, if I quit sleeping, hopefully I'll become weak enough that Eckhart won't be able to continue his tests."

She stared deeply at him, her expression very serious. "How far has he taken this?" When Brennan just turned away, she grabbed his shoulder. "I know he did something. Look at you, you can't even stop shaking. I already know it was bad this time, so why won't you tell me!?"

"I can't!" he shouted back. Couldn't she see he was trying to protect her? Why did she insist on knowing the details? He fell silent. There were things he could never let her know.

Eckhart had taken this beyond reason. He'd crossed a line when he'd actually killed him. 

\-----

Adam paced back and forth several times, then looked to Shalimar and Jesse. "Okay, let's go over this again. What do we know?"

Shalimar sighed. "We know the rings were a decoy to--"

"Just stop it," Jesse cut in, standing up. "We can go over things a thousand times. We still won't know where they are."

"Alright," Adam said, seeing the young man's agitation. "We don't know where Emma and Brennan are. So we change our strategy. We stop searching for them... and try to find Eckhart."

\-----

"Penny for them," Emma offered as they lay awake. Brennan had simply turned his back to the camera and was still refusing to sleep.

Her voice interrupted his thoughts. "Huh?"

"You're a thousand miles away," she commented softly. "Wanna tell me what's on your mind?"

He sighed. "You ever wonder why some things happen the way they do?"

"You mean like our current situation?" she asked, not certain if he was talking about now or just in general.

He propped himself up on his elbow and stared intently at her. "Do you trust Adam? I mean, really trust him, with your life?"

"Yeah, of course I do," she replied without hesitation. "What brought this up?"

Shaking his head, he sighed again. "Nothing."

"I do believe that he'll find us." She watched him carefully. He was acting odd and still looked somewhat pained, and she wondered if he really was getting sick, although she figured that would be impossible now.

Brennan rested his back against the floor once more and gazed at the white ceiling. "He assigned us all different tasks. It was my job to bring the new mutant into the underground. Alone."

She thought she could see where this was going now. "If I hadn't decided to take a break and tag along with you, I wouldn't be here," she summarized. "Our lives change with every choice we make, Brennan. That's just the way things are."

"Did you tell anyone you were coming with me?" he asked next, still very serious.

"They know we're together," she replied. "I left a note."

Sitting up, he put his face in his hands. "So nobody knew 'til after the fact." He slammed his fist against the wall. "He set me up!"

Emma sat also, confused once more. "You think the new mutant sold us out to the GSA?"

"Don't you get it, Em," he asked, grabbing her hands. "We never saw anybody but a whole shit-load of Eckhart's goons. They were waiting for me. Specifically for me. And they knew I'd be there."

She suddenly pulled back. He wasn't accusing the new mutant. Brennan was angry at the one person who'd had enough control to send only him. "You think Adam did this?" She couldn't believe it.

His expression was flat. "How else would they have known?" he said simply.

Shifting so that she was on her knees right next to him, she cupped his face in her palm. "Because you always go. Because of coincidence. Because that ambush would have been enough to take out all of us. Because life sucks sometimes." She made him look at her. "But not because Adam betrayed you. Not ever."

He just shook his head. His heart believed Adam couldn't have done this, yet logic argued otherwise. He sighed. "I hope to god you're right, Emma."

\-----

When they came for him again, Emma fought. She begged them not to take him. Brennan could hardly even walk.

But it was pointless. One of the guards merely set off her governor and she crumpled to the floor. Throughout all this, Brennan didn't even lift a finger to resist as his hands were roughly cuffed behind his back.

On legs that felt like they could hardly support his weight, Brennan stood with the men he knew would hurt him. He'd play it safe one last time. This was his final shot.

"I'm sorry, Emma." He stared intently at her. "I am so sorry."

As the door was closed behind them, he looked to his guard. He was ready to place all his cards on the table. "I need to speak with Eckhart."

\-----

"What is it?" Eckhart kept his back to Brennan as he spoke, a sign of his overconfidence. He stared through the window of his office that was almost identical to the one at Genomex.

Brennan waited for him to turn around. "I haven't fought you. I've withheld my side of our deal, and I'll continue to do so. But I want your word on something. When this is over, you'll let Emma go."

Sitting, Eckhart looked across his desk at him. "Why should I do that?"

"Because I'm offering you my full cooperation, and my life." He knew the experiments were going to be concluded by his permanent death. There was no escaping that. The only thing he didn't know was how long it would take. But he'd stopped sleeping, so it would happen. The only problem was that he was slowly losing his mind the further this was prolonged, and he didn't want Emma forced to witness that. "The next time I die, you set her free."

"I'll give it careful consideration."

That wasn't good enough. "I need your answer now."

Eckhart remained sitting and kept his tone calm. "You're not in a position to make demands."

Matching his air of composure, Brennan replied, "Then we have no deal, and I will fight you."

Eckhart slowly stood. "I can have the girl killed."

"You'll do as you will." Brennan made certain that he showed no emotion. For Emma's sake, she couldn't be seen as his weakness. "You've made it clear I have no power. I won't let her be used against me any longer." 

With a slight incline of his head, Eckhart pressed a button on his desk which opened his office door. "Very well."

Brennan's handler took a step forward and Brennan walked to take his place at the man's side. His movements held a sure confidence despite the fact that his hands were bound. He looked once more to Eckhart. "You will regret this." Not a threat, a promise.

"As will you, Mr. Mulwray."

\-----

"How old are you?" Brennan asked as his health was checked, curious if Jordan was as young as he looked.

"Nineteen," was the reply. "But I shouldn't be talking to you like this."

Damn. He couldn't start acting detached now. "All I did was ask your age," Brennan said, trying not to panic. "Where's the harm in that?"

Jordan sighed. "It's under other circumstances that we could be friends. Not under these."

"Why?" Brennan asked, keeping him talking. The rest of Mutant X had yet to mount a rescue, and Eckhart had made it perfectly clear that he would never let Emma go. Their only hope rested with Jordan. "Because you're not allowed to fraternize with the freaks? What are you afraid of?"

Jordan glared at him. "We're on opposite sides, Mulwray. In case you'd forgotten, you're a member of Mutant X."

He hadn't forgotten. "I'm not sure I even trust Adam any longer," Brennan said quietly, staring at his hands and noting the absence of his ring. "He should have gotten me out of here by now."

Looking back to Jordan, Brennan felt as though he'd just sworn off his loyalty to Mutant X. "You need to question things as well," he told Jordan. "You've got your whole life ahead of you. You need to decide where you stand."

Jordan didn't reply, and Brennan closed his eyes, feeling ashamed. Eckhart wasn't the only one crossing lines. He was playing a dangerous game himself.

\-----

After he was given another injection, Brennan was left alone with Jordan once more. He knew the young doctor was recording his reaction to the drug. Brennan didn't much mind it anymore. The rush made him feel good.

He had to be getting close to the end of these injections. He already wondered if he'd crossed the point of no return. He looked to Jordan. "You can stop this."

"I don't have that kind of authority," was the simple reply.

Brennan fidgeted against his restraints. The next test would be soon. "Jordan, please..."

He gave Brennan an empathetic look. "I can give you something to help you relax, but that's all."

"I don't want to relax. I want to stop being treated like I'm not a person!" He stared deeply at Jordan, desperately needing him to understand. "I'm the same as you."

Jordan retrieved a syringe and Brennan tried to pull his arm away but was held in place by the restraints. "It's a light sedative," Jordan explained. "It will help."

Brennan yanked his arm again and kept Jordan from being able to find a vein. Sedatives were the last thing he wanted. "Don't drug me."

Jordan gave up and tossed the syringe in the trash. "You are too god-damn stubborn, Mulwray!"

"Fuck you!" Brennan tossed back before being able to think better of his reaction. All Jordan was willing to do was keep combating his pain with chemicals. But Brennan wanted it to stop!

Jordan gave him a spiteful glare before eventually saying, "They want you to struggle, but it will be better for you if you don't fight." He snapped off his gloves and slung them in the general direction of the trash.

As his handler entered, Brennan turned back to Jordan, still regarding him angrily. "What's going to happen to me?" he asked concerning the warning.

Jordan just turned away as Brennan was released from the chair and forced to stand so his hands could be cuffed again behind his back. The metal slipped around one wrist, but before the second one could be locked, he spun, instantly changing position so he could grab his handler's wrist.

If you could control the wrist, you gained control over the arm. Pushing hard against the man's palm and bending it painfully back, Brennan then slid his other hand to the elbow. The arm was his. He shifted his weight in order to toss his handler to the floor.

At that moment, another guard entered through the door. When Brennan moved, his ankle was grabbed by his handler. Placing all his weight on the captured limb, he used his other leg to kick over the trash. Bending, he first slammed the metal of his handcuffs into his handler's face, then he picked up the syringe Jordan had discarded and tossed it at the man who'd just entered. It caught him both by surprise and directly in the throat.

Breaking free of his handler, he rolled over the table then lunged for the other man. He'd pulled the syringe out of his neck and made a move to punch Brennan. The strike was swiftly blocked. Noticing that the guard had left his side exposed, Brennan kicked forward, placing his foot on the man's stomach then continuing to step down hard.

When he cried out, the heel of Brennan's palm smashed into his face, breaking his nose with a martial arts move that could have potentially killed him. Adam had once told him to never enter a fight he couldn't end in thirty seconds. Right now, he was using moves that would assure just that. His only objective was to win.

The room was now clear except for Jordan, and it was simple for Brennan to get his arm pinned behind his back before he even saw the advance coming. "Whose side are you on?"

Jordan didn't answer.

Brennan took a deep breath. Right. Jordan was one of the bad guys. Since he controlled the young man's arm, Brennan had control over Jordan's entire balance. He shoved him toward the door, yet stopped before opening it.

Brennan leaned in close to Jordan's ear. "Look after Emma for me," was all he said before finally moving them into the hall and into the midst of a dozen guards. Brennan had expected as much. Eckhart would have been prepared after their little talk.

Moving his arm around Jordan's neck, he squeezed, blocking his airway. "Go to sleep," he instructed softly before letting Jordan drop limply. He seriously debated taking on all the guards, despite knowing he wouldn't win, but instead he raised his hands and placed them behind his head in surrender.

Several punches landed upon him regardless, and he was thankful he hadn't tried to use Jordan as a shield. He would have merely been taken out in order for them to get to Brennan.

His handler had come around from the blow at this point and he finished securing Brennan's hands. Brennan turned to spot the hall camera. Eckhart would be watching. He mouthed "round one" before being shoved in the back and forced to walk.


End file.
